Thill-support.



No. 697,286. Patented Apr. 8, I902.

W. 0. SMITH.

THILL SUPPORT.

(Application filed Oct. 23, 1901.!

(No Model.)

Nirnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM D. SMITH, OF I-IUDGENS, ILLINOIS THlLL-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,286, dated April 8, 1902.

Application filed October 23, 1901. Serial No. 79,707. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known-that 1, WILLIAM D. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hudgens, in the county of IVilliamson and Stateof Illinois, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Thin-Supports; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and toletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device as applied, the shafts being shown as secured in raised position. Fig. 2 is a similar view from the front. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of lever-latch s and adjacent parts. Fig. l is a detail perspective view of abutmentf and hook 72 The invention relates to buggy attach men ts or to means for supporting or upholding the shafts of vehicles generally; and it consists in the novel construction and combinations of devices, as hereinafter set forth.

The object of the invention is to provide a cheap and simple means whereby the shafts may be held in raised position to facilitate hitching the horse to the vehicle and including a secure supporting-latch which can be quickly and readily operated by the foot when the shafts are raised to retain them in such position.

In the accompanying drawings the letter a designates the axle of a buggy, b the bolster, and c the shafts connected to the axle and having the transverse draft-bar d, these parts being of the usual construction.

At one side of the middle bearing 6 of the transverse shaft-bar cl is provided a stop or abutmentf, which is usually made in the form of a U-shaped clamp of metal, designed to be secured to said bar by a suitable screw or bolt g. On the other side of said middle bearing is provided a pivoted hook 7a, said hook having its plane at right angles to the plane of the transverse bar and being pivoted to its rear edge.

Projecting from the bolster is a screw-bolt is, which is held to said bolster by means of an adjustable clamp L or other suitable fastoning, and a stop-bearing 'm. is also provided at one side of said bolt.

This lever-latch or shaft-support is pivoted on the screw-bolt 7c and is provided with a spring 6, which engages the lever-latch and the bolster or bolster-clam p L in such wise as to exert tension 011 the lever-latch to cause it to assume the position of rest or engagement with the stop m. The spring also provides a rocking bearing for said lever-latch, whereby it is enabled to have a slight backward-andforward motion. At the lower end of the lever-latch is provided a forward flange U, which serves as a bearing for the foot in operating the lever-latch.

In its ordinary position of rest the leverlatch is in an inclined or transverse position with relation to the shafts. When, however, the vehicle is brought into the stable to be put away, the shafts are raised, bringing the transverse bar upwardly past the bolster. Then by a pressure of the foot on the pedalflange U of the latch the latter can be turned to upright position and the shafts brought forward a little, so as to effect an engagement between the latch and the stop f of the transverse bar, such engagement being secured by turning the hook it over the latch. In this position the tension-spring assists in holding the latch against the beak of the hook. To disengage the latch, the foot is pressed on its pedal-flange, which relieves the hook, allowing it to be easily turned aside, and at the same time rocks the latch free from the stop f, said latch then being turned by its spring to normal or transverse position with relation to the shafts.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Athill-supportcomprisingastop orabutment upon the thill, in combination with a tension device upon the front bolster arranged to engage said step or abutment when under tension, and so support the thill, and means for insuring against disengagement of said device and stop, substantially as specified.

2. A thill-support consisting of the pivoted lever-latch having bolster connections, the tension -spring upon the pivot-pin of said latch, and a rest-bearing for said latch car- 'ried by the bolster, in combination with the stop or abutment upon the thills for engagement with said latch when under tension, to support the thills, substantially as specified.

3. A chill-support consisting of the pivoted lever-latch carried by the bolster, the tensionspring for said latch, and the rest-bearing for said latch when not in use, in combination with the stop or abutment, of the thills for engagement with said latch, and the hook carried by the thills for engagement with said latch to insure its action, substantially as specified.

4. A thill-support consisting of the pivoted 

